Interactive Telecommunications

Antennae

2005-12-28T16:56:00.000-08:00

I found this at a 99 Cents store in Los Angeles.

Rope LED Lights sold at Target

2005-12-28T16:40:00.000-08:00

These are rope LED lights sold at Target. They were originally $12.99, but before Christmas, they went on sale 30% off to $9.99 and after Christmas, they were half off, so $6.99. I bought them for my Toy Design class, which I will take next term. I also bought white LED rope lights for our digital xylophone prototype (Tom Igoe's Physical Computing and Tucker Viemeister's Industrial Design Classes), which is still under construction.

Ambient Chair

2005-11-07T07:17:00.000-08:00

Physical Computing - Device Group - Week 3

2005-10-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

The configuration of our instrument.

Physical Computing - Device Group - Week 3

2005-10-19T06:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some proximity sensors that we hooked up. One of the problems we faced was that some of the sensors were interfering with each other. We solved that by putting another piece of copper mesh around the disk and sensor and used shielded cables. We were able to get 4 proximity sensors to work in tandem.

Process of Writing and Designing "Manhattan Stories: Fiction and Non-Fiction"

2005-10-08T14:09:00.000-07:00

I was really excited about this project. My bus had made a detour because of Fashion Week, and I started to think of this trip as a game with paths and detours. At first, I wanted to make a game, but then I couldn’t think of an incentive for why people would play it, and what I could teach them.

While I took the bus, I would watch people getting on the stop. I wondered about the distinguished gentleman sitting in the front. Where were this woman and her baby heading? Where was her husband? Why the lady was wearing a scarf on a sunny day? I started to watch people in their neighborhoods. The man dressed in a tuxedo in Central Park…for what occasion? The girls playing atop a fire escape above the Fish market in Washington Heights. So many people in Manhattan, so many stories. From people to food to spaces and history: their stories intrigued me. What were their lives like?

I opted to write a collection of stories, and included photographs of people in the city. Some are New Yorkers and some are tourists. I use the visual information to tell a story. Most of it is fictional, and reflect my predilections of their stories. “Non-fiction” refers to the subjects in my photographs and “fiction” reflects the story about the people or space. Hence, Manhattan Stories: Fiction and Non-fiction. This book explores all my questions, and hopefully gives the reader a piece of New York and its Culture.

Poetic Vase

2005-10-06T19:35:00.000-07:00

The poetic vase is made out of plexi glass, and can change in form as the user rearranges the circular tiles. Some of the tiles have lines of poem (by E.E. Cummings) etched into them. It can look playful, yet elegant.

The other vase turned into an "Extroverted Vase." You insert the flowers externally.

Physical Computing - Week 3b

2005-10-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

Norman Readings

I agree with the Norman readings. The most important thing that I got out of the "Designof Everyday Things (DOET)" is that design should be visible. So many times, the aesthetic of the design is prioritized over it's function. Also, design should be intuitive (like the door examples). In contrast, too much functions can hinder the usefulness of the object. I believe one possible solution to this could be that similar objects can have the same functions, so that learning becomes uniform. An example would be a cell phone interface and touch pad. Most of them are similar regardless of how old the model is or the design. In any case, one should keep the design simple. All in all, I'm glad I own the book for Intro to Industrial Design.

In "Attractive Things Work Better," Norman makes a good point that people/users tend to forgive design flaws when the object is attractive. This is true, I believe for the older Apple computers (the IBooks and IMacs that came in funky colors). I have also experience a coulple of malfunctions with my Powerbook within the first 3 months. My speakers had to be replaced. I took it in, and because AppleCare also reinforced that my product would be in good working condition eventually, I wasn't upset. Partly because of the design of the Powerbook, and it's packaging. The same went for my 3rd Generation Ipod. The battery drains faster than the newer ones, but since I love the design of the older one with the red lights (keys), I will never sell it. On the other hand, I used to own one of the 1st generation G5 PowerMacs, and there was something wrong with the videocard. I had to take it back to the Apple store several times before they replaced it. I ended up selling it because I hated having to ask someone to help me lug 50 lbs. to the Apple Store everytime. I don't know if attractive things work better, but I do agree that people forgive the device or object if it is more attractive.

Physical Computing - Week 3a

2005-09-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

More on improving the subway environment in NYC. We
took 30 survey of people taking the train at Union
Square.

Most of them would improve the environment below,
navigational and temporal signage. This is what we
came up with.

For more information on this project, please visit this link:
http://www.annehong.com/itp/physgroup/

1. Schematic
2. Interface Design
3. Simulation

Computational Media - Week 3

2005-09-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

Moving Tree :: Funtions and Objects.

Computational Media - Week 2

2005-09-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

Loops and Void Setup Excersice.

Industrial Design - Vase Prototype

2005-09-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

This is the first prototype of my vase design. It was actually my second choice to do since my first choice design would cost me $60.00 to make. I'm going to try making it anyway.

Industrial Design

2005-09-23T08:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some design comps for a vase.

Prototype

2005-09-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

These are the initial prototype of the environment. We will conduct further research to hone in on which device or experiential design we decide to focus on.

Observation of a Location and Activities

2005-09-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

Our group chose to observe the actions of individuals at the Union Square Station subway stop in Manhattan. Metro stops in general are chaotic, busy places with a lot of mental stimulus. In the Union Square station, which has takes up nearly a full block of space underground, the situation is exacerbated by its immense size. There are overhead signs every 30 feet pointing the way to various tracks,there are hordes of people going in every possible direction, there are huge steel girders to avoid, there are subway maps on the walls, as well as other signs that sometimes are useful (e.g. posters informing about limited service on certain lines) and sometimes not very useful (e.g., advertisements, announcements of city events).

There are two major groups of subway riders: those who ride on a daily or near-daily basis (frequent riders) and those who are new to the station and unfamiliar with the navigation of it (tourists). For frequent riders, speed and efficiency are the priorities: They want to get to their ultimate destination with as few distractions as possible, and they want to avoid waiting (in lines, for trains, etc.). They want to know the answers to questions like the following:

:: When is the next train?
:: Is this the fastest route to my track?
:: Do I need to speed up?
:: Will the next train be express or local? If it's the local, is it faster to take it or to wait for the express?
The tourists tend to be more concerned with information: They want to know where they are and how to get where they want to go. They want to know the answers to the questions:

:: Is this the right track?
:: Is this the way to my track?
:: Which track should I take?
:: Which exit do I take to get to the Tower Records (or Filene's Basement, etc.) aboveground?
::Our group has devised a system of technological enhancements to the subway stop that we believe will improve the experience of frequent visitors and tourists alike.

Context-aware Trains

Several of the questions above are really directed at the trains themselves. If there were a way for the train to answer the question, "When will you arrive?" both tourist and frequent visitor would be helped. By using radio-frequency ID tags on the trains, coupled with receivers on the platforms, the trains will be able to know where they are, and the subway station will be able to know where trains are further up and down the tracks. This information could be presented in a variety of ways, including displaying a countdown timer in various places around the station (and also outside the station), making it available via SMS text messaging and also via the web.

Information Kiosks

A touchscreen kiosk (similar to the metrocard dispenser machines already installed) could be used to help the tourist and frequent visitor alike. The tourist could touch an area on a subway map of the city and have the machine tell it the best route to take to get to the destination. A frequent visitor could use the kiosk to find out how long it would take to get to an arbitrary location several train-switches away. The kiosk could also have information about the map of the subway station and it could be supported in part by advertising revenue from local stores, which would display (along with the weather information) on the display screen when it's not in use. The kiosk could also show aboveground images for each of the subway's exits, so that people exiting the subway won't arrive aboveground to find themselves across a busy street from their intended destination.

Aboveground Information

In addition to displaying train arrival times aboveground (so that a subway rider can know whether to hurry up or enjoy time outdoors a little longer), a status indicator could be used to inform the public when that entrance is closed or when a line's service has been discontinued. The camera can be attached to streetlights.

Also some of the stations have screens aboveground, yet the content played on these screens are generally advertisements. These screens could be better integrated with subway information, as well as what lines or buses are unavailable.

Turnstiles

At busy times of the day, there is a mass exodus at certain exits of the station. These occur right after a train has arrived. If the trains were outfitted with the RFID tags described earlier, the station will know when a train has arrived. If the turnstiles could then be momentarily turned into one-way turnstiles (by keeping the bar from being able to move in a certain direction) and indicated as such using green or red lights, then the subway riders just entering the station would be able to get through the onrush of exiting people. The turnstiles could also be outfitted to pay attention to how many times they have been used in the past 10 seconds or so, and if they are unused for a specified period of time, they could be turned back into two-way turnstiles.

We also noticed that occasionally the metrocard needs to be swipe again, and the sound that accompanies the "swipe again" message on the display is the same sound that accompanies a successful swipe, leading to riders occasionally slamming into an immobile turnstile. The solution to this is simple: change the sounds so there is a negative feedback and a positive feedback sound.

Analysis on "The Art of Interactive Design" and " Less is More"

2005-09-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

Listen, think and speak are the three major components of interactivity. In computer language, listen is input, think is process, and speak is output. I was enlightened to read that a fridge can be interactive ("The Art of Interactive Design," Crawford). A fridge listens to you when you open it's door, thinks as it switches, and speaks when it lights up. I just played the most remarkable game, called "Nintendog." The console was as small as PSP and the Tetris games, the difference in the experience is the content. In "Nintendog" you could touch the screen and pet the dog, play with him (by throwing a frisbee), and if you blow into the microphone, bubbles magically appear, and your digital dog reacts to them by wagging it's tail. It is a sophisticated version of Tomagachi (those Japanese games of dinosaur eggs), except "Nintendog" is also similar to the SIMS (you can even shop for food, toys, and a dog condo for your dog). The graphics are life-like, unlike SIMS. It's interactivity was so sophisticated, that I was engaged with throwing a digital frisbee for 20 minutes. "Interactivity is superior to all other forms of human expresssion in one way: it engages the human mind more powerfully than any other form of expression" ("Why Bother With Interactivity," Crawford). This is true. I definitely want this game.

"Less is more" in fashion, but not function. When designing tools, one should think about not just the function, but the user's interactivity with it. William Buxton makes a point of analyzing the user's actions; who is using the computer; what are they doing; where are they doing it; when will they be able to use it; why are they using it; and how are they doing it. There definitely seems to be a disconnect between experience and interface. For example, when I use my laptop, the metaphor of the desktop doesn't really physically look like my desktop at home, yet my laptop desktop functions more. Maybe because the location of my computer is in the physical location it's suppose to mimic. Crawford uses examples of the "Shopsmith," which encompasses a saw, sander, drill, drill press and lathe, and a Swiss Army Knife (the portable utilitarian tool handy in every situation." These tools are multi-usage, portable, exhibit in a single location. A food processor which is located in the kitchen would look absurd in the bathroom. I believe it's important to think of certain rituals in certain spaces when designing a tool or computer. Specialization can link to it's physical space. Nevertheless, a successful tool or appliance specializes and diversifies. Crawford supports this with the outstanding design reputation of the Palm Pilot. It understands and addresses human needs. This article is why I went looking for the perfect switch. While the color of my switch (red) is not the desired color because it represents danger or intense passion, it is a "soft press" switch, a trait important to interactivity. I want to integrate tactility and emotion to my designs.
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Physical Computing - Week 2b

2005-09-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

Microcontrollers, 2 Switches, and 2 Subroutines:

goto main

stoplight:

high portb.7
pause 500
low portb.7
high portb.6
pause 600
low portb.6
pause 700
high portb.5
pause 800
low portb.5

return

yellowblinker:
high portd.2
high portd.3
pause 250
low portd.2
low portd.3
pause 250

return

Physical Computing - Week 2a

2005-09-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

I bought this switch at RadioShack and hooked it up to my board. My LED lights WORK!

Physical Computing - Week 01 Lab

2005-09-13T21:17:00.000-07:00

Power to Regulator (so the 12 voltage adaptor doesn't blow out the LED lights) to the Switch ("pod") to the 220 ohm Resistor to the LED lights. I'll try to remember this...

Computational Media - Week 1c

2005-09-12T08:32:00.000-07:00

Slinky Rebirth...sort of

The code is to long to post.

Here's a link:
http://www.annehong.com/compMediaHong/project1F05/ellipse/ellipse/applet/

Computational Media - Week 1b

2005-09-11T15:32:00.000-07:00

This is suppose to be a kite. Here's the code...

size(123, 123);
background(197, 234, 245);
stroke(208, 182, 247);
rect(3, 3, 81, 81);
rect(6, 6, 79, 79);
rect(9, 9, 77, 77);
rect(12, 12, 75, 75);
rect(15, 15, 73, 73);
rect(18, 18, 71, 71);
rect(21, 21, 69, 69);
rect(24, 24, 67, 67);
rect(27, 27, 65, 65);
rect(30, 30, 63, 63);
rect(33, 33, 61, 61);
rect(36, 36, 59, 59);
rect(39, 39, 57, 57);
rect(42, 42, 55, 55);
rect(45, 45, 53, 53);
rect(48, 48, 51, 51);
rect(51, 51, 49, 49);
rect(54, 54, 47, 47);
rect(57, 57, 45, 45);
rect(60, 60, 43, 43);
rect(63, 63, 41, 41);
rect(66, 66, 39, 39);
rect(69, 69, 37, 37);
rect(72, 72, 35, 35);
rect(75, 75, 33, 33);
rect(78, 78, 31, 31);
rect(81, 81, 29, 29);
rect(84, 84, 27, 27);
rect(87, 87, 25, 25);
rect(90, 90, 23, 23);
rect(93, 93, 21, 21);
rect(96, 96, 19, 19);
rect(99, 99, 17, 17);
rect(102, 102, 15, 15);
rect(105, 105, 13, 13);
rect(108, 108, 11, 11);
rect(111, 111, 9, 9);
rect(114, 114, 7, 7);
rect(117, 117, 5, 5);

Computational Media - Week 1a

2005-09-11T12:07:00.000-07:00

This class teaches Processing, which is a precursor for Java. Here's my first design by numbers project and the code:

background(0);
stroke(200, 150, 200);
rect(12, 12, 75, 75);
rect(15, 15, 73, 73);
rect(18, 18, 71, 71);
rect(21, 21, 69, 69);
rect(24, 24, 67, 67);
rect(27, 27, 65, 65);
rect(30, 30, 63, 63);
rect(33, 33, 61, 61);
rect(36, 36, 59, 59);
rect(39, 39, 57, 57);
rect(42, 42, 55, 55);
rect(45, 45, 53, 53);
rect(48, 48, 51, 51);

Physical Computing - Week 1

2005-09-11T11:56:00.000-07:00

This is my third class this week. We're learning electronics and how to read circuit diagrams. I had to buy my tools today. We learned how to solder, and we have to make L.E.D. lights work on this breadboard. This was the demo that our professor worked on. Somehow, I remember my undergrad physics class.

If you want me to send you a diagrammatical photo of this circuitry, just let me know. I would have posted it on this blog, but I don't this the text is readable. Just email me.

Applications - Week 1

2005-09-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

I have some footage of Heather Greer's (I hope I didn't butcher her name) presentation. To people who have first presentations: email me if your interested in obtaining this for your presentation. The photos are a bit blurry because I took them without a flash.

Tisch Orientation

2005-09-11T11:50:00.000-07:00

Work from a recent Tisch ITP grad...